We
by Marilyn Love
Summary: Merry finds Pippin acting a little strange lately and not himself. Is it all in Merry's head or do Merry and Pippin have something to fear?
1. The Rock

Disclaimer: Don't own them…..which is sad, and I'm not getting paid for writing either……which is sadder.

I hope you enjoy ) I'm actually an X-File's fanfic writer, but decided to write for LOTR since I LOVE it and Pippin is soooooo cute. I love him!

Rated: R for well, you'll see. ) and please review, otherwise I won't know if it's worth continuing.

We

By: Ashley

Merry heard a quiet knock at the door and surprised who was visiting him. He walked through his kitchen and opened the door. "Pippin….of course," Merry said and closed the door on him as a joke.

"Oh I don't even get a hello huh?" Pippin said behind the closed door and Merry laughed. Merry reopened the door and smiled.

"Oh hey Pip! Didn't see you there," Merry said laughing. Pippin gave Merry a "haha so funny" look and walked in.

"So what are you doing today?" asked Pippin smiling. Merry couldn't believe how peppy Pippin could get in the mornings, Merry still felt tired.

"Not to much, where have you been?" Merry asked while noticing Pippin's legs were cover in mud. Pippin put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a rock…a very shiny rock covered in purple shades of marble stone. Beautiful. "What's that?"

"I don't know exactly, I found it in the woods. Pretty ain't it?" Pippin said smiling.

"Yeah, very pretty, let me see it," said Merry. Pippin gave the rock to Merry. "You should start a collection." Merry laughed at his own little joke. Pippin didn't get it. ( but does he ever)

"Ha ha ha! You're so funny. Why don't we make another joke about Pippin? Everyone else does! Poor pathetic Pippin! Let's just laugh at him till the cows come home!" Pippin yelled and hit the stone out of Merry's hand. Merry was stunned and couldn't believe what Pippin said.

"Pip…I was kidding, I didn't…." Pippin cut him off.

"Sure you didn't! You never do! You never _mean it_," said Pippin slowly. He picked up a kitchen chair and threw it at Merry hard. Merry ducked and couldn't believe what Pippin was doing.

"You scared Merry, you afraid of me? Of poor little Pippin?" Pippin said in almost a psychotic tone. He picked up one of the kitchen knifes on Merry's counter and walked over to him. Merry backed up against the wall carefully, not taking his eyes off Pippin.

"Pippin, what are you doing? It's your cousin Merry….your best friend, please stop!" Merry said close to tears. Pippin stopped in his steps. He dropped the knife. He looked as innocent as ever, he looked at the knife and then Merry.

"What's going on Merry? What happened!" Pippin said quickly, sounding scared. Merry looked at Pippin again and couldn't understand what was going on.

"Oh Pippin, you just went sort of nuts on me," Merry said and ran over to Pippin and hugged him. Pippin started to cry. "It's okay Pip, everything's fine."

After Merry brought Pippin home, he walked back to his hobbit hole, still thinking of him. He told Pippin's mother to take care of him for a while and that Pippin just didn't look too good. Pippin and him had barely spoken at all on the walk over there. Merry rethought over and over about what happened, about how Pippin snapped in a split second. When he opened the door to his hobbit hole, he saw the stone on his kitchen floor. Merry thought for a little while….it was like he was possessed …like the ring had almost possessed Frodo and the many bearers before him, but no, he didn't care about the rock when it happened. He just snapped. He put the rock in one of his cupboards.

After Merry had been inside all day and had caught up on some reading, he looked out his window and realized it was dark out, so he decided to get ready for bed. He got undressed and brushed his teeth. He walked into his room and realized his window was open. Odd he though, but oh well. He looked out the window and could hear the crickets over the quiet summer night. Merry closed the shutters and stopped suddenly when he saw Pippin standing in the middle of his room looking at him. "Pippin!" cried Merry.

"Yes Merry," Pippin said smiling.

"What on Earth are you doing here?" Merry asked breathing heavily after being almost scared to death.

"We've come to see you," Pippin said smiling.

"We?" Merry asked confused.

"We," Pippin said slowly and withdrew a blade from his pocket.

Please review and I'll put a new chapter up as soon as possible


	2. As One

Hey, 2nd chapter's up! I really want reviews so I know I'm not wasting my time! LoL!

!Pippin 4 Ever!…… Anyway, on with the story……

We," Pippin repeated in a soft voice. There was more fear in Merry's eyes than ever before and didn't know what to do. Merry swallowed hard and Pippin smiled at him…..the twisted smile a clown has.

"Pippin….please, don't do this. This isn't you. I'm your friend."

"Pippin doesn't need friends. He doesn't need anyone but me," said Pippin laughing.

"You? What are you talking about? Pippin, what's going on?" Merry asked confused. Merry knew something was up, but he didn't think it was a split personality. Was there someone else but Pippin in there. He feared now for Pippin more than he feared for himself. Pippin just laughed again, but a sad laugh. "Are you going to murder me….whoever you are?"

"Of course not. That wouldn't be very nice, I have other ideas." Pippin pointed the knife towards Merry and he went as limp as a fish. He went into his closet and took out some rope and tied Merry's hands above his head. He then went outside and came back with a pile full of dirt in his shirt and spread it in a circle with a star in it.

"What are you doing?" Merry yelled. Pippin ignored him and made the circle look absolutely perfect. A work of art. He then dragged Merry by his bound hands to the circle. "What's going on?" Merry cried again in dismay.

"We are going to be very close dear cousin, very close indeed. Just a little blakc magic," said Pippin grinning. He closed his eyes and started chanting. "Adanac Salogel Nrogara Reldif…..Adanac Salogel Nrogara Reld…." He was cut off by a sudden knock at the door.

"Merry! Meriadoc Brandybuck! Have you seen Pippin? He has seemed to of disappeared. Merry? Merry, are you in there!" cried Pippin's mother while knocking on the door.

"Shit!" Pippin said under his breath. Merry was about to yell for help to her, but Pippin put the blade to his throat and whispered, "Tell her I'm not here and that she has to leave or I'll cut your throat." Merry stared at Pippin and knew not to even try to test to see if he was bluffing.

"Pippin isn't here!" yelled Merry from his bedroom. "Sorry!" Merry crossed his fingers that she would leave. He didn't want to put anyone else in danger except himself.

"Oh dear! Well if you see your cousin please tell him to come home," she said hopelessly and left the hobbit hole, not knowing that Pippin was inside and that Merry was in danger as well. After she walked off, Pippin smiled happily.

"Good, now where were we? Oh yes. Adanac Salogel Nrogara Reldif…..Adan…" Merry cut him off.

"Wait! What about you? You can't kill me! People would find my body," said Merry. He knew how stupid he sounded, but he needed as much time as he could put together to stall him.

"Were not going to kill you, were going to put our bodies together in one. We will be together forever. Inseparable. The rock showed me our future," said Pippin, almost sounding like himself again.

"That rock is nothing but trouble! Pippin, listen to yourself. You sound crazy! We can't be together in one!" said Merry.

"But he have to be together, or we will be apart……and we will never see each other again and I'll be alone with him. I don't want to…I just can't do it! I won't go back in the dark!" said Pippin and dropped to his knees and started to cry. Merry still tied up tried to get up. He finally got up and stared at Pippin sulking on the floor.

"We won't be apart, I'll never leave you. I promise," said Merry quietly. Pippin looked at him, eyes full of tears. He wiped his face with his shirtsleeve and looked at the floor. Anger and sadness in his eyes.

"Yes you will, you'll leave me alone with him in the dark."

"With who?" Merry asked. It reminded him of Gollum, of how he had two personalities, but this was different. There wasn't another person, just another Pippin. A different side no one ever saw before. A side that he was obviously afraid of.

"Me." Merry stared Pippin right in the eye. He had never seen so much of him before. A hobbit that he thought he knew so well. His friend. His cousin. His Pippin. Pippin threw the knife down and put his head in his lap. Merry still tied was able to wiggle his hands free. He got up and walked over to Pippin and put his arm around him. "Oh Merry!"

"It's okay Pippin," Merry said quietly. Suddenly, Pippin pushed Merry off of him and on to the ground.

"Get away from me!" Pippin screamed. He picked up the knife and pointed it at Merry. "I'll kill you! I swear!" Suddenly, Pippin ran out of Merry's bedroom and out of the hobbit hole. Merry didn't know what to do. He stood still for a moment and thought about what has happening to Pip. He was falling apart on the inside and he had to stop him before he hurt someone….or worse……himself

Reviews! LoL! Hope you enjoyed chapter 2. I'll put up chapter 3 as soon as possible, I don't like to keep readers waiting!


	3. The Right To Live

3rd chapter is here ) Woohoo! Hope you enjoy it!

What to do? What to do? Merry thought over and over in his head. Where could he have gone? He could be anywhere. Merry had been walking through the woods for almost an hour looking for Pippin. The only source of light he had was a lantern he had grabbed and a full moon's light. "Pippin! Pippin!" Merry cried through the tress. Silence. He kept walking. "I won't give up! Not while Pippin is out there somewhere," said Merry to himself. Then suddenly, he heard weeping. Like a crying child. Merry tried to follow it, but it sounded like it was coming from all around him. It was getting louder as he walked and he kept following it till he saw him! Sitting on a rock looking at the lake near the shore. He remembered coming swimming here with him. "Pippin!" Merry cried overjoyed.

"Go away," said Pippin. Anger and sadness filled his voice at it had done earlier in his bedroom. Pippin sat with his back facing Merry and sitting on a flat rock while holding his legs bunched up to his chest.

"Pippin…I've been loo….," Pippin cut him off.

"Go away! You don't belong here. I don't deserve to be here," said Pippin and put one hand through his curls. Merry stood bewildered. He didn't know what was happening to his cousin.

"Not until you tell me what the hell is going on. What's happening to you and why don't you deserve to be here?" whispered Merry as almost not being wanted to be heard. But no one was there to hear them.

"He told me that I don't deserve to be here. The dark will take me over forever. The rock told me. It held an essence of something, something indescribable. Like a painter that couldn't quite grasp what he wanted to paint.

"It's just a rock! It's not the ring! It has no power or essence! It knows nothing!" Pippin laughed. Merry became filled with anger, not at Pippin, but whatever was doing this to him. "Leave! Leave now!" screamed Merry. "Leave Pippin alone. Go away and never ever come back whatever or whoever you are!" Pippin turned to face Merry. The full moon's light shining on him like a spotlight, making him look almost elf-beauty worthy.

Pippin got up and jumped off the rock. Merry quickly followed and stopped to see Pippin jump into the water. Merry waited for Pippin to come up. But nothing, no movement in the water. He waiting what seemed like forever, but Pippin still didn't come up for air. Not being able to wait anymore, Merry jumped in the water after him. The darkness in the water was twice as dark underwater and Merry wasn't able to see his hand in front of his face. He swam further down reaching out his hand to anyone or anything. He felt Pippin's shirt and grabbed it. Almost out of air, pulled Pippin and him to the surface where he gasped for air and Pippin coughed above.

"Let me go! Let me go! I don't deserve to live!" Pippin yelled.

"Pippin! Stop! This isn't like you!" cried Merry as he swam and pulled Pippin with him to shore.

"If we can't be together, then I can't live! He said I don't deserve to, he told me so!" cried Pippin and started to cough. He passed out on the dirt shore. Merry picked him up and threw him over his shoulder and started his walk home.

The next day Pippin woke up dazed and confused. Merry walked in the room with a bowl of hot water and a cloth. Pippin smiled happily.

"Merry!" Pippin cried happily. Merry smiled weakly and wondered how long it would be until he changed again. Pippin's smile faded after he saw that Merry wasn't as happy to see him as he was.

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine, but what happened? What am I doing here? I'm not sick am I, I don't feel sick," said Pippin looking confused.

"You don't remember?" Merry asked half surprised.

"No," Pippin said shamefully. He looked down at his hand and back up at Merry as if he was a wise wizard and was ready for any advice or any kind of answer he was willing to give.

"Try to remember," said Merry. He sat down on the side of the bed and smiled meekly at Pippin.

"Um, well, I remember coming over to your place and a knife and a purple rock," said Pippin shaking his head as if not believing his own words. He then shook his head and grabbed it with his hands and covered his ears and shook his head more rapidly and cried out, "I won't go! No! You can't make me! Never! Merry won't let you take me. Please Merry help me!"

Merry grabbed one of his hands and said, "What Pippin, what is it? What's happening? No one's taking you." Pippin stopped and looked at him and blinked.

"Yes he is…..he's coming, coming to get me. Oh Merry, don't let him kill me! He's on his way," Merry didn't know what to do and held his hand.

"No one is coming! No one wants to take you or kill you," said Merry. He hugged Pippin's head and kept trying to reassure him. "No one want's to bother you or take you anywhere. It's just me. Pippin calmed down a little and topped crying out. Pippin starred past them to the wall of the room. His eyes became dark.

"He's here."

Next chapter will only go up if I get reviews! I feel like I'm writing for a wall! LoL! But I love all of you readers reading this right now! XoXo….Hope you guys are enjoying the story so far.


	4. Letting Go

4th chapter is up! ……..I hope my readers enjoy and thanks to the few whom reviewed. Appreciate it more that words can say! )

Pippin starred to the wall opposite of the bed and his eyes didn't budge from the stop. "Pippin, who is here?" asked Merry frightening to end wits. He didn't answer

"It's the rock. That stupid rock. Thanks to it, he'll never leave me alone. He will never let me be," said Pippin and started to cry. Merry was so tired of that stupid, yet beautiful, rock. Damn it to Hell Merry thought. "You have to let me go, I thought if I was with you, he'd leave me alone. But it's not like that. If you have to let me go," said Pippin looking up at Merry.

"What are you talking about? Let you go where? Wherever you need to go, I can go with you. I'm you best friend…cousins need to stick together," Merry said smiling meekly. A smile of courage and a little fear in his eyes, but Pippin knew that would not matter.

"No Merry. You can't come with me," said Pippin and looked down, "I'll look after both of us. The Pippin you know will be taken care of, but you can't come."

"Why not?" Merry asked and got up quickly.

"We are going somewhere you cannot follow. The only way we can end it," said Pippin closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

"Where!" Merry yelled in shock and confusion. He couldn't believe what was happening. Everything that had happened. It seemed like just too much.

"Death," said Pippin very quietly. Merry's eyes widened. He took his head in his hands and yelled.

"No!" yelled Merry over and over and dropped to his knees. Pippin looked away. All because of that rock, that evil rock. No thought Merry! He ran from the room, down the road and to the kitchen of his hobbit hole. He went to the cupboard he had put the rock in and opened it. Empty. The rock was gone. Merry was stunned and then thought of Pippin and ran back to the room in the care center. The bed still unmade from where he slept was there, but Pippin was gone. How could he have been so stupid?

Suddenly, Merry heard a scream from down the road, not of Pippin, but of a girl. The road was filled with hobbits and Pippin's mother was crying and screaming all at once. Merry pushed through the crowd cowering over something. No, please no Merry thought to himself. There was Pippin, he had cut his own next with one of care center's utensils. Tears did not fall, they couldn't. It was impossible to drop even one. Merry dropped to his knees beside Pippin. He wasn't bluffing; he wanted him to let go, but how could he?

There was more to this than there seemed. The Shire wanted to hold a funeral for Pippin, they all believed he was murdered, but Merry knew better than that. There was more to this than there seemed to be. He got home and started to cry, he had to, for he had still not dropped a tear for his cousin. Pippin was gone, why wouldn't he cry? He fell to the floor and cried loudly, his sulking echoed in the room. He heard a creak and looked up, his open window from his bedroom carried in a breeze that creaked the open cupboard door where the rock had been. Where WAS the rock? He had forgotten about it after Pippin's disappearance. Who took it? Only Pippin and him knew about it,…….so who could of taken it? He was going to find out, not for himself, but Pippin.

Haha! Aren't cliffs great? LoL! Remember my review policy! I'll try to have chapter 5 up soon.


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